While we got the distinct impression that the platform holder was keeping its cards close to its chest – E3 is right around the corner, after all – it still managed to roll out five first-party games and a selection of third-party titles. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the content you can expect to be enjoying when the next generation system launches later this year.

The unchallenged star of the last night’s press conference, Killzone: Shadow Fall was Sony’s play towards the mainstream market. Not only does the game look absolutely stunning – showing a serene city vista before devolving into an explosive fire-fight and high-speed chase – but it also hints at a departure for Guerrilla Games’ first-person franchise. The clunky, heavy artillery of old is gone, replaced by more fluid weaponry and a faster pace. Did we mention that it looks really, really pretty?

MotorStorm developer Evolution Studios has waited nine years to make DriveClub, but it wasn’t possible until the PS4. While we don’t necessarily buy into the Runcorn-based developer’s back story, the first-person team racing title does appear to have some compelling ideas. A mixture of Need for Speed: Shift and Autolog, the painstakingly detailed driving experience sees you competing in packs against other online clubs. ‘Ford Fanatics’, you’re going down this fall.

Sucker Punch’s ambiguous superhero spin-off inFamous: Second Son puts you in control Delsin Rowe, a tea cosy-wearing hoodlum with a penchant for smoke. No, the 24-year-old protagonist is not a contender in the cancer stick championships, he actually has the ability to direct, manipulate, and even transform into fog, making his escape from the Department of Unified Protection a particularly hazy affair. The title takes place in Seattle, and, like previous inFamous titles, features a massive open world. It’s running on a brand new in-house engine, which the studio stresses will take full advantage of the PS4’s power.

Marble Madness developer Mark Cerny’s first PlayStation 4 project Knack is a collaboration with Sony’s Japan Studio which puts you in control of a pint-sized protagonist capable of expanding to extraordinary sizes. The quirky art-style harks back to the luminary’s previous generation work on first-party franchises such as Jak & Daxter, while the gameplay promises a delirious mismatch of Katamari Damacy, Crash Bandicoot, and, er, God of War.

Proof that the PS4 is not just about big-budget blockbusters, Braid creator Jonathan Blow’s The Witness is pitched as an experience about “epiphany”. The open world platformer – which will be a timed exclusive on Sony’s next generation machine – promises to provide a peculiar island packed with puzzles to solve and eccentric contraptions. It also looks set to have some really, really stunning audio.

Blizzard Entertainment’s critically acclaimed dungeon crawler Diablo III is embarking on a voyage that involves PS4, making four-player local couch co-op a reality at last. The title has supposedly been redesigned with the console in mind, boasting an obsessively designed interface and optimised control scheme that makes it a perfect fit for Sony’s next generation machine. The title’s also apparently coming to PS3, but that’s not what this article is about, is it?

The timing of last week’s announcement almost perfectly pointed to some kind of PS4 reveal, and sure enough Bungie rocked up during Sony’s press conference last night to announce that Destiny is coming to the platform holder’s next generation machine. The ‘shared world’ shooter – which will cycle you in and out of other players’ games as you explore – will also embark on PS3, where it will feature exclusive content on the PlayStation-branded machines.

Less a game and more of a tech demo, Deep Down is being developed simultaneously alongside Capcom’s new Panta Rhei engine – an evolved form of the publisher’s existing MT Framework technology. The brief gameplay snippets shown during Sony’s press conference focused on a couple of armour-clad soldiers, as they wandered through a cavern and attempted to escape from a particularly ferocious dragon.

Ubisoft’s stunning Orwellian-obsessed open world interpretation of the future Watch Dogs is tapping into the PS4 later this year, promising an action romp that builds on the technology from Assassin’s Creed and augments it into a future setting filled with rogue smartphones and third-person gunplay. The title’s also launching on every other platform under the sun, but considering Sony’s strong ties with the French publisher, we wouldn’t be surprised if the platform holder secured some exclusive DLC.

Everything else

Media Molecule is working on some kind of PlayStation Move-powered sculpting title that has the ability to recreate your dreams. Square Enix promises that a new Final Fantasy game is in development, and that it will be announced at E3 2013. Meanwhile, CD Projekt Red is bringing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to PS4 in 2014.

Are you looking forward to any PS4 titles in particular? As always, feel free to share your thoughts on the line-up in the comments section and poll below.

Aside from Deep Down and Destiny, everything on the list has me hyped. DriveClub just may get me back into racing games and Knack looks very interesting. My obvious day 1 buys will be Shadow Fall and Second Son, but I'll give the others a try.

Media Molecules tech demo gave me the biggest smile of the conference. The entire scene was sculpted and animated using the PlayStation Move. Absolutely brilliant. Killzone blew me away though. I got goosebumps when Guerilla took to the stage as I knew what coming! Although there us thst notion of a fantasy RPG GG are apparently working on so maybe that'll show at E3. Im glad Sony held off showing the console itself as it gives me more of a reason than looking forward to game announcements for E3

Also good to see the Move is still in Sony's plans for next gen. I wouldnt be suprised if no Move 2.0 was unveiled as the original Move is still an accurate piece of kit for motion control so it would transfer to PS4 easily

Knack is the only new game that intrigued me sadly. The rest are just more of the same sequels (that Capcom one will blatantly become a Dragon's Dogma game). Oh and did anybody notice big Knack looked just like Gannondorf?

Since I am mostly a j-rpg player I would be more interested in a new Final Fantasy at launch. I don't play FPS games and I am not fan of open world action games. I would say Diablo 3 but I can also play it on my PS3. There are good titles but I am not that interested in any title really.

Its Second Son for me all the way! The way that they set it up with that tale of oppression and tyranny ( i think ) shows the emotional direction they are taking with the game. And the prospect of more effect of choice on the story will be good.

I wanted to say Second Son is what I'm looking forward too the most, but I love Japan Studio games (Ape Escape, Patapon, Loco Roco, Bleach Soul Resurrección...just an awesome studio in general) there games are very unique, and it was the only game that looked incredible but wasn't trying to be realistic looking, looks like a true next gen animated game. Can't wait to see a Sly Cooper or Ratchet and Clank on this system.